By Liz Eichler
Gem City Groundlings in Dayton is performing Jewel of the Seven Stars, through September 26, 2026. Written by Bram Stoker in 1903, it has been adapted for the stage by Riki Mitakides.
At a quick 80 minutes, this production can have you home in your jammies early, or leave plenty of time for drinks at one of your favorite Dayton hangouts.
The production has some terrific elements: a beautifully detailed set, costumes that establish the period, two standout performances and a genuinely intriguing gothic story. And a few moments to make the audience jump.
The Story
A shadow play opens the story, explaining how Egyptian Queen Tera foresaw her death, and her plans to rise again far in the future. “No soul has returned from the Kingdom of Death.” “Then I shall be the first.”
Then we meet a distraught Margaret Trelawny, who has found her Egyptologist father unconscious and bloody. At her behest, an old friend, Malcolm Ross, rushes in. Clearly, there is some history between the two, but time and ambition have distanced them.
A doctor and a detective arrive to examine the situation, keeping a close eye on Professor Abel Trelawny’s body. Eventually, Professor Trelawney’s assistant Eugene Corbeck arrives, identifying the lanterns and relics placed strategically throughout the house as items from Queen Tera’s tomb. The Professor was obsessed with her story. He knew she had plans to return when the stars realigned.
But will she? And would that be a good thing? Thoose questions drive this compact gothic mystery as the characters begin to wonder whether the past really can come back to haunt the present.
The Performances
The six-member ensemble includes Andy Crawford as Detective Daw, Jacie Graham as Margaret Trelawny, Chuck Larkowski as Abel Trelawny, Aeson Liddic as Eugene Corbeck, Andrew Mitakides as Dr. Winchester and Garrett Young as Malcolm Ross.
Overall, the ensemble works well together to tell a compelling story.
While LCT has covered many Gem City Groundlings productions, this was my first opportunity to see Andrew Mitakides in action. He is a huge presence on stage, demanding the audience’s attention whenever he appears. What a talented jewel in the Gem City! We must see more of him (talking to you, Human Race, Cincy Shakes, Ensemble, Playhouse, etc.)
Another standout is Aeson Liddic as Eugene Corbeck, Professor Trelawny’s assistant. This young actor has control of the stage, a strong, rich voice and an impressive physical presence. He clearly understands both the play and his obsessive character, creating a wonderfully specific performance. He acts far beyond his years, with attention to detail and a precision that makes Eugene particularly memorable.
Margaret and Malcolm, however, need to find the size of the room. Both Graham and Young have moments that work, but often their performances feel as though they are being delivered for a television camera rather than a live theatre audience. Their voices become too quiet and their reactions too contained, particularly when the rest of the cast is playing at a larger theatrical scale. A little more volume and theatricality from Margaret and Malcolm would help bring the ensemble into better balance.
Production Team
The set (Rick Sagraves) and decoration are among the production’s strengths. The rehearsal room, with its existing Egyptian-style columns, is transformed into multiple playing spaces. A lovely Victorian settee, rich reds and detailed set decorations establish both the period and the gothic atmosphere.
The costumes work equally well, and the sound design (Greg Forsthoefel) supports the action with rain and other effects.
Mitakides keeps the performers moving, which is particularly important in the tight playing space. At times, there simply seems to be too many people occupying a very small thrust-style stage.
A shout-out goes to the marketing campaign. The daily social media posts introducing characters, revealing pieces of the story and building interest were smart and consistent. It made me want to know what was going to happen.
Novel to Stage
Bram Stoker’s writing is rich in detail and steeped in melodrama. The end of act one and beginning of act two captures this well. Mitakides has taken that material and compacted it into the essential plot, reducing what could easily become a sprawling gothic tale to a little over an hour.
Some of Stoker’s detailed descriptions are simply shown rather than explained. The characters no longer need pages of description because they are standing in front of us. She recognizes some of the humor in the situation as well.
A few of Stoker’s plot lines are left behind, but that is part of the bargain when adapting a novel for the stage. This production gives us the Cliff Notes version of the gothic drama — and sometimes that is exactly what an audience needs.
Stoker was writing during a period when fascination with Egypt was sweeping through Britain and the United States. Archeology, the opening of the Suez Canal, Britain’s occupation of Egypt and, later, Howard Carter’s discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb all contributed to the Western fascination with ancient Egypt–reflected in architecture, fashion, art and literature. (Look around Dayton or Cincinnati you will see it. Or Indianapolis’ Madame C.J. Walker Theater–a great example Egyptian influence.)
Stoker, the author of Dracula, took that fascination with Egypt and added something even more frightening: the mummy is alive.
And, perhaps even more horrifying to his Victorian readers, the mummy is a woman.
Mitakides’ adaptation focuses primarily on the return of Queen Tera and the metaphysical fear and consequences of opening a door to the supernatural — particularly when Queen Tera predicted all of this thousands of years before.
There is something timeless about that fear. During times of unrest and social change, maybe looking backward feels a little less frightening than looking forward.
Jewel of the Seven Stars is Certainly Intriguing
I was an Egyptology girl, so I admit I have a soft spot for stories about ancient Egypt and the mysteries surrounding a civilization that knew an astonishing amount about the world around it.
This production works as an amuse-bouche — a little taste will awaken your palate. That may unwrap your desire to dig deeper into gothic literature, Egyptology and the mysteries surrounding Queen Tera–or perhaps Queen Hatshepsut, who some say was Stoker’s inspiration. And at 80 minutes, you have plenty of time to do so.
For tickets to Jewel of the Seven Stars, which runs only through Sept. 27, 2026 visit GEM CITY GROUNDLINGS TICKETING LINK. Performances are at Dayton TheatreLab, 116 N Jefferson St, Dayton.
